quinoa salad

Best Southwestern Quinoa Salad Recipe

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southwestern quinoa salad

Everywhere you turn, there’s a Southwestern quinoa salad, and for good reason.  It’s delicious, easy to make, and a great choice for a healthy meal. Since quinoa is a complete protein, this Southwestern inspired salad makes an ideal vegetarian recipe, doubly so since this quinoa is paired with black beans.

What you need to make a Southwestern Quinoa Salad

2 cups COOKED QUINOA (check current prices for quinoa on Amazon)
1 15 oz can BLACK BEANS
10-15 sliced CHERRY TOMATOES
1 AVOCADO
½ diced YELLOW BELL PEPPER
3-5 chopped GREEN ONIONS
¼ cup chopped, pickled JALAPENO
½ cup chopped CILANTRO
1 LEMON …juice and zest
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
SALT and PEPPER to taste

southwestern quinoa salad
southwest quinoa salad recipe

How to make a Southwest Quinoa Salad

Cook up the quinoa just like rice: 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff the quinoa and then set aside uncovered to cool.

While the quinoa cools, prepare the veggies:

Dice ½ a yellow bell pepper, or any color pepper, but if you’re like me and you’re making a corn-free southwest quinoa salad, then using a yellow pepper will make your quinoa salad more lovely to look at. Slice some cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes have a great flavor, and the hardiness of the tiny tomato makes it the perfect choice for a salad.

Remove and mince the zest from 1 small lemon, and then slice the lemon in half. Check current prices for a lemon zester on Amazon.

Chop up some green onions, and cilantro. If you like a little heat, chop up some pickled jalapeno, too, and reserve a Tbsp of the jalapeno pickling juice for added kick and flavor.

When the quinoa cools:

Add 2 cups of the cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl.
Rinse and drain the black beans and add them to the bowl.
Add the yellow pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, cilantro, lemon zest, olive oil, juice from half the lemon, and salt and pepper.
Mix ingredients thoroughly.
Add tomato.
Slice avocado and add to salad.
Take the remaining lemon half and squeeze its juice over the cut avocado, this will preserve the vibrancy of the avocado.

Gently mix the salad and serve.

This Southwestern quinoa tastes great on it’s own, as a healthy side dish, or served over a bed of fresh greens for a super salad topping.

Give healthy southwest quinoa salad recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

For another healthy option with a southwestern flair, check out out this meat-free Vegetarian Chili Recipe that even carnivores will love.

vegetarian chili
pot o’ meatless chili for good times

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Thai Rice Recipe …but with Quinoa!

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thai rice

What is more awesome than a Thai rice recipe? Thai quinoa! Quinoa provides a complete protein, so you’ll get more bang for your buck by substituting quinoa in this simple, yet delicious Thai-style dish.

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Quinoa Thai Rice Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup QUINOA …check quinoa prices on Amazon
1 can COCONUT MILK
1 ONION (chopped)
2 Tbsp GINGER (minced)
1 Tbsp CHILI-GARLIC SAUCE
1-2 tsp LEMONGRASS (minced)
4-6 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
½ tsp TURMERIC
CILANTRO (chopped)
ENGLISH CUCUMBER (chopped)
ROMA TOMATO (chopped)
2-3 Tbsp RICE VINEGAR
SALT and PEPPER to taste

thai rice
Thai-Style Quinoa Recipe

Quinoa Thai Rice Recipe Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 3-4 minutes until ingredients begin to soften. Add chili-garlic sauce, turmeric, and salt to taste. Mix well and continue sautéing for another minute.
Add quinoa and stir well. Check here for current prices for quinoa on Amazon.

In a measuring cup, add one can of coconut milk, and then add additional water to bring the liquid to 2½ cups. Pour the coconut/water mixture into the skillet and mix well with the quinoa.
Stir in the minced lemongrass.

Raise the skillet temperature and bring ingredients to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let dish cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.

Thai rice
Pair a simple salad with Thai Quinoa for a complete meal.

While the quinoa cooks, chop cucumber and tomato into a bowl.  Use a cucumber with a thin, edible skin, it’s a great texture for this dish. Add fresh chopped ginger and cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and a generous amount of rice vinegar; the tartness of the vinegar adds a great contrast to the coconut creaminess of the quinoa. Thoroughly mix the salad ingredients and set aside.

Once the quinoa has simmered for 15 minutes, remove from the heat and let sit 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and add fresh chopped cilantro; if you’re not a fan of cilantro, basil makes an excellent substitute.
Serve quinoa in a bowl with the cucumber/tomato salad.

It’s a crazy creamy and awesome recipe. So simple and delicious, and makes a great meal. Definitely give this Thai rice quinoa recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

And for another healthy Thai-inspired recipe, try this Quinoa Thai Curry Recipe.
quinoa thai curry

Thanks for Watching Thai-Style Quinoa Recipe

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We include affiliate links for products on our website. Making a purchase after clicking on our links and we may earn a commission which helps us produce more videos and drink more coffee :^) We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program. It provides a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, so we can make more videos.

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Quinoa Salad Recipe for Vegetarian Protien

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quinoa salad

Quinoa salad is vegetarian perfection. Quinoa is a versatile food, similar to rice, but with 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. It’s easy to prepare and super tasty. The salad recipe below makes an excellent meal, a tasty side dish, or a light snack. Serves 2-4.

Quinoa Salad Ingredients:

1 cup QUINOA (check current prices for quinoa on Amazon)
3 medium TOMATOES (chopped)
¼ cup RED ONION (finely chopped)
3-5 GARLIC CLOVES (minced)
½ inch GINGER (minced)
1 CUCUMBER (chopped)
1/3 YELLOW BELL PEPPER (chopped)
1 CARROT (thinly sliced)
¼ cup PARSLEY or CILANTRO (chopped)
3 Tbsp APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
2-3 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
2 Tbsp LEMON JUICE
SALT (to taste)

Quinoa Salad Direections:

Add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes (I find it usually takes about 15 minutes). Place cooked quinoa in bowl and let cool—doesn’t have to cool completely—by the time you get your other ingredients prepped, the quinoa will be cool enough.

Add vinegar, olive oil, salt, and stir well. Add onion, ginger, and garlic. I usually chop the onion fine and MINCE the garlic and ginger VERY WELL. The raw garlic and ginger adds lots of flavor and nutrition. Give the bowl a good stir and get these ingredients mixed thoroughly.

Add yellow pepper (red pepper is fine, but yellow makes a nice color contrast), cucumber, carrot. Sometimes I also add green onions—or even diced jalapeños if I’m looking for a little kick—feel free to experiment with any vegetables you enjoy in a raw state.

Mix ingredients and then add the tomatoes. I like to add the tomatoes last so they don’t get too beat up by the spoon. If you’ve got some parsley or cilantro on hand, throw that in as well—I make sure I’ve got some cilantro on hand when I’m making this dish. A bit of lemon juice is a nice finish and will also help keep the colors of the dish vibrant.
Give this quinoa salad recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appetit!

We still use rice, but not nearly as often (if I have to choose between eating ribs and rice or ribs and quinoa, it’s really not a choice, I choose rice every time–and I’m talking white rice!) but for MANY dishes, I’m losing the rice and going with quinoa. White rice doesn’t stand a chance against quinoa, but even brown rice doesn’t provide as much nutritional value–plus with quinoa being a complete protein, it’s a lot less hassle to fashion a meatless meal.

I’ve always got quinoa on hand now, and before using rice in a dish, I ask myself “will quinoa work here?” Sometimes the answer is NO, because rice provides great texture for many dishes–but more often than not, I go with quinoa.

Thanks for checking the quinoa salad out. If you like it, click a button or two below and share it!
And for another delicious salad idea, try this Cauliflower Super Salad Recipe.

cauliflower salad
add sliced tomato for a quick splash of color

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Quinoa Recipe — Spicy Spanish Style Quinoa

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spanish quinoa

Try this spicy Spanish-style quinoa recipe; it’s vegetarian heaven. Quinoa is a versatile ingredient and an excellent source of protein. Quinoa is a grain-like superfood and a great substitute for rice, and just as easy to prepare. I use it often as an alternative to rice–even in rice pudding. Give this quinoa recipe a try; I’m sure you’ll be eating a whole lot less rice in the future, and not missing it at all.

What You Need For This Quinoa Recipe

  • 1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
  • 1 ½ cups QUINOA (check current prices for quinoa on Amazon)
  •  ½ cup RED ONION (minced, separated)
  • 3-5 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
  •  ½ large RED BELL PEPPER (minced, separated)
  • 1 14 oz can DICED TOMATO (reserve juice)
  • 1 15 oz can KIDNEY BEANS (drained, rinsed)
  • 1 tsp CUMIN powder
  • 1 tsp CHILI powder
  • 2 cups WATER, including drained tomato liquid
  • ½ cup CILANTRO (fresh, chopped)
  • 1 small CUCUMBER (diced, peeled if waxed)
  • 1 AVOCADO (seeded, peeled, diced)
  • 1/3 cup LIME JUICE (freshly squeezed)
  • SALT and PEPPER to taste

quinoa recipe
uncooked quinoa…looks like a grain, but it’s a seed.

How to Make Spanish Quinoa

  • Open the canned tomato and drain the tomato liquid into a measuring cup. Add enough water to equal 2 cups.
  • Heat oil on medium high. Saute garlic, 2/3 of the onion and 1/3 of the red pepper for 2-3 minutes. [the rest of the onion and red pepper will be added raw at the end.]
  • Add quinoa.
  • Stir in tomatoes with green chilies, kidney beans, cumin and chili powder and water/tomato juice mixture.  Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce to medium low and cook approx. 15 minutes. The liquid will be absorbed.
  • Remove from the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Allow quinoa to cool some, you want it to be warm, not piping hot when you add the rest of the ingredients.
  • After quinoa has cooled some, add in the remaining onion and pepper pieces, and the chopped cilantro.  Mix. Then add cucumber and avocado and lime juice (or sub lemon juice). Toss gently.
  • And then serve.
  • Give this spicy Spanish quinoa recipe a try and let me know what you think, and…

Bon appétit!

For another tasty vegetarian recipe, try this Easy Eggplant Burger Recipe.

veggie burger recipe
Veggie burger recipe with blackened eggplant

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